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Skyrim Dawnguard beta keys given to under 1 percent of applicants

Bethesda says an "overwhelming" number of Elder Scrolls V gamers applied for the DLC's Xbox 360 beta, with half of one percent awarded keys; 1.6 update for PC now live.

Gamers who applied for the Xbox 360 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Dawnguard beta period will want to do two things today: check their inboxes and cross their fingers. Bethesda Game Studios has announced that it has admitted .005 of the applicants, with successful gamers receiving their invitations to try out the new downloadable content today.

Writing on its official blog, Bethesda said an "overwhelming" number of gamers applied for the Skyrim Xbox 360 beta, and as a result, the company was able to hand out codes to only half of one percent of applicants.

Those accepted into the beta will receive an email bearing an Xbox Live redemption code for Dawnguard, as well as information regarding how to take part in Bethesda's private feedback forum. No mention was made whether a beta for the DLC will also come to the PlayStation 3 or PC.

Gamers who didn't score early access to the Dawnguard content for Skyrim may be able to try their luck again with a future DLC release for the role-playing game. A statement on the blog teases, "And for those that didn't get in, we plan on doing this again."

Skyrim's Dawnguard is scheduled to arrive on the Xbox 360 on June 26. No price for the DLC has been announced, and no mention has yet been made concerning a release for the PS3 or PC. For more on Dawnguard, check out GameSpot's E3 2012 stage show demo with Bethesda, embedded below.

Separately, Bethesda announced that Skyrim's 1.6 update for the PC is now available to download through Steam. This update adds mounted combat to the role-playing game, as well as a host of bug fixes. Information regarding update 1.6 for consoles will be announced at a later date.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

75 comments
redness19
redness19

I just re-installed Skyrim for the PC recently and wow, what a great game. When properly modded, I don't think many games could touch it in terms of quality.

OGKNav
OGKNav

I'm sure everyone of those people thought "Yeah, I get to play a DEMO!".

Dasim64
Dasim64

I don't think the testers did their job very well. I've already seen several things in the expansion that should have been easy to detect just by a simple play through. Nothing too major but still issues that could have been resolved.

Johnny-n-Roger
Johnny-n-Roger like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

 @muggers227 

 

That sounds exactly like the type of generic response I'd expect from someone who hasn't played the game.

guildclaws
guildclaws like.author.displayName 1 Like

We are the 99% percent! #OccupyDawnguard.

muggers227
muggers227

OMG AFTER I READ THIS I CHECKED MY EMAIL... I GOT IT!!! AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! THE STORY IS INTERESTING AND THE NEW GAMEPLAY CHANGES ARE WORTH YOUR $20!

DaedraLord01
DaedraLord01

I only hope that they are going to release it on ps3

Samuraijmjh
Samuraijmjh

 @DaedraLord01

 It will. Gamespot doesn't exactly do their research. Dawnguard will come out about a month to two months after the Xbox release.

david1230
david1230

 @DaedraLord01 they'll fuck us over i hear that xbot gets it a month in advance so wait until the end of july to play it.

P90E21
P90E21

 @david1230 Wait for the GOTY lol. All content will be 60 bucks .

mick1500
mick1500

They announced it will be $20

Unholy123
Unholy123 like.author.displayName 1 Like

so tired of these bought DLC's releases... it's part of the whole problem with the industry that one company spends so much money just to f#%! over the other the 2/3's

buying1999
buying1999 like.author.displayName 1 Like

oo bad for the over priced internet ready blu ray player owners. NO beta for you. :-(

But given the difficulty that the over priced internet ready blu ray player hardware has running this massive open world masterpiece, I can see why the beta wouldn't be offer on it. Well eventually they'll get the dlc, abiet with shorter draw distances, inferior shadows, inferior anti-aliasing, inferior textures. But at least they'll get it....eventually.

Samuraijmjh
Samuraijmjh

 @buying1999

 Yeah it's too bad all you get is an early beta. We have a much bigger variety and much better exclusives being released soon. Take your jealousy somewhere else.

blakeney
blakeney

 @buying1999

 I have played it on All 3, and can tell you for a fact that the 360 version and ps3 version are pretty much the same.... they both suck compared to PC.

 

You play on a console that looks like its made by Fisher Price... and ripp on other consoles? What a joker lol.

mrboone01
mrboone01 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @buying1999  Get off trying to insult the PS3 for Bethesda's screw ups. Bethesda can barely manage to make their games playable on the 360 without save bugs and freezing/crashes and the modders on PC are the ones who end up fixing the HUNDREDS of bugs in their games so the PC players can have the best experience.

pHANTOMpHREAK9P
pHANTOMpHREAK9P like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

 @buying1999  Did a ps3 molest you or something? get a life

Kjmadman
Kjmadman

 @pHANTOMpHREAK9P Get a life? Damn hipsters!

Samuraijmjh
Samuraijmjh

 @Kjmadman

 Calling people hipsters just shows that you're a hipster. Just because you were abused and abandoned doesn't mean you shouldn't "like what's popular" (<What hipsters do). With that said, you must be a little ignorant brat seing as you don't even know the meaning of such a simple word.

demonic_85
demonic_85 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

 @buying1999 I think they just felt bad for console players since they dont get to enjoy all those sweet mods like the PC.

dlCHIEF58
dlCHIEF58

I feel very fortunate and special now! Skyrim just got bumped back up in my game queue. 

gix47
gix47

don't need 100,000+ beta testers...am looking at you Blizzard!

david1230
david1230

 @gix47 doesn't know how the beta process works. To many very ignorant people existing today.

_Silent_Jay_
_Silent_Jay_ like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @gix47 Yeah, you do when you need to stress test your servers, and  multiple configurations that you just can't do in-house.

RYPER
RYPER

I can't wait to see what the modding community will do with horseback riding. Proper first person while riding maybe? Pegasus? Anyway, here's hoping the next update/DLC will let us ride dragons.

pHANTOMpHREAK9P
pHANTOMpHREAK9P

 @RYPER Riding dragons unfortunately wont really ever work, the reason for that is all the major cities and the world map are separate from one another.  You wouldn't be able to fly over Whiterun and just land in it for example.  That seems to be the linchpin holding back flying mounts *shakes fist angrily*.

Samuraijmjh
Samuraijmjh

 @pHANTOMpHREAK9P

 Actually, there are several mods for riding dragons that work spectacularly. Just have to know where to look.

pHANTOMpHREAK9P
pHANTOMpHREAK9P

 @RYPER Also how do you deal with the map border? an invisible wall? No one likes that.  The logistics ruin it fast, which is a bummer

strayfies
strayfies

I'm still opposed to gamers' money going to pay for other gamers not having access to their games - and in this case, Microsoft and Bethesda are both to blame - but I have to say I'm glad I have this on the PC.  I think the real victims are the PS3 owners, who have had to deal with goofy savegame bugs, a later expansion and no mods.

 

I do like what I'm seeing for the DLC, and I hope the X360 players are gonna enjoy it.  That vampire lord form looks awesome, but in daylight it's really out of style.  They shoulda demoed some nighttime footage first.

TheGenereux
TheGenereux

Dang. What am I suppose to do for 14 days!!??! ugh, man I wish time would fly by.

HiroArka
HiroArka like.author.displayName 1 Like

I have it for PC so I guess I have to wait till July or August to play Dawngaurd.

Iffy350
Iffy350 like.author.displayName 1 Like

I don't want horse combat! **** you!

TheGenereux
TheGenereux

 @Iffy350 it helps a little if any. It's fun to ride by and just slice somebody up. then ride away.

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